You Can Always Be Found
by Constance.Tatum
Summary: When Edward Masen decided to uproot his life and move from the big city, he had no idea that he would love the seclusion so much. He thinks that he has it made in Mt. Rainier but as life always does, it throws him a curveball. A very damaged, broken and insecure curveball. Can he handle the broken girl that shows up at his home? Will he welcome her or push her away?
1. Prologue: Unfamiliar Road

? POV

I was running. Low branches and briar bushes were scraping at my feet as I tried desperately to out-run the person I assumed was chasing me.

I had been running for a while now, seemed like hours.

They had given up a while back but I still remained cautious.

The measly scraps of cloth that covered my body were slowly being torn to shreds as the deep woods ripped me to pieces.

I had no idea where I was headed. All I knew was I had to get away.

Away from those heartless people who treated their captors like meat on a belt-line.

The only thing I did know was that I was approaching hills and after that, a huge mountain top that overlooked a valley and a river. Maybe if I sought cover in the mountains, it would be harder for them to find me. To abuse me more than they had.

My steps faltered a little as I started the climb uphill.

The more I ran, the more tired I became and I knew that if I didn't find a safe haven soon, I'd pass out in the cold, dark woods that surrounded me.

After what seemed like hours, I had lost all hope of finding anyone within a mile radius and felt my legs becoming weaker by the minute. The cold was overwhelming, making my lungs feel as if hot pokers were stabbing them with every footfall.

Just when I could take no more, I could faintly see a light coming towards me up ahead and rather than run, like my mind screamed, I collapsed to the ground.

I knew I was a crying heap of mess but at that moment, I didn't care. When I felt like I could breathe no more, I resolutely laid in a ball on the ground and closed my eyes.

The blackness took over me as soon as I started praying, 'Please save me, Please save me.'

Okay, authors note here people I don't know how long this story will be or how often it will be updated. I merely listened to a song today on the radio and got sudden inspiration for a story. It just jumped out at me from out of nowhere and I just had to run with it.

This story is E/B and will feature a HEA. But beware, all good things come to those that wait. So with that being said, this Edward isn't the most welcoming guy in the bunch and Bella isn't going to be at her strongest anytime soon. They will clash, argue, fight, etc. (Not physically, of course) and there will be plenty of times when you just want to smack both of them in the head while also wanting to cry for them.

I have no graphics/banners for this story yet, so if you feel compelled to make a few *hint, hint*, feel free! I see no need to get a beta at this time so I will just roll with it until the need arises (if it does).

So until then, enjoy this ride that I'm writing and I hope you enjoy it! After a few chapters and more of the story are told, I will then share what song inspired this fic. It probably wouldn't make a difference whether I said now but I like the element of surprise!


	2. Chapter 1: Everyday Life

"I'm up, I'm up! Dang dog…" I grumbled as my two year old yellow lab licked my face relentless until I rose from the bed. Cotton would wake me up each morning at 5am to go outside and take a swim in the nearby creek while I stayed inside to get dressed.

Opening the old creaky door of my small cabin, I let her outside to explore and closed the door behind her, pulling on some long-johns and overalls to keep warm. It had been a harsh winter and things were finally settling down, though the temperature was still almost freezing.

I knew that if I didn't get outside soon, the morning dew would dampen the wood and make it useless. Chopping wood at 5 in the morning wasn't really all that appealing but if I wanted to stay warm tonight, I knew I had no choice.

The wood that I had stocked in the small shed outback was starting to get low and I wanted to get it stocked up before any snow began to fall, furthermore screwing me over.

Walking outside, I took a big gulp of air into my lungs and blew out the cold air, spying Cotton in the creek. I had no idea how she did it, but she enjoyed a good swim in the mornings despite the blistering cold.

Shrugging my shoulders at the insane animal that I shared my home with, I pulled on my old work gloves and picked up the simple ax that sat up beside a small wood stoop.

A few hours later, I had about five bundles of wood piled up outside the shed, ready to be tied and stored. Being alone helped me to work faster and kept stress out of my life. Lord knows I've had my share of drama through the years which is the reason I had secluded myself to this cold paradise.

Although my days were filled with hard work, calloused hands and tired joints, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. My seclusion is what kept me grounded, what kept me from going insane from the everyday life in the outside world.

Technology had become an obsession of our generation and I didn't want to succumb to it. Spending hard earned money on six figure housing seemed like a waste of money and happiness. My happiness wasn't defined by material things but the work I put into my home. Not the money.

The only piece of technology I did own was an old rotary phone and a small 19 inch colored TV. I only used the phone for emergencies and the weekly phone calls I received from my mother. Despite wanting to stay away from my old life my mom thought that I should at least stay in touch with her. I reluctantly agreed since she was my mom and grumpily pushed through our ten minute conversations where she talked my ear off about how things were going with our family.

Sighing to myself, I pushed those thoughts out of my mind and proceeded to grab my hunting sac out of the shed along with my old backpack.

This is the part of the day that I dreaded the most; checking my traps that I spread throughout the woods to catch small animals to butcher and put in my deep freeze for food. Since the closest town was at least 2 hours away and the winter months were brutal at best, I found that the easiest solution was to hunt for my own food. The basic essentials I purchased once or twice a year, when I went on the yearly run into the closest town. I usually went at least two times a year when spring and summer came but this past year had been especially hard due to the winter storm damage around my home.

It took me about six hours to check all of my traps. I had gotten lucky today and had snared two rabbits, plus a small Quail that had gotten caught up in one of my traps that hung from a tree branch. I figured it had stuck and died of shock, exhausting in desperation to escape the trap.

By the time things were done with and I had a good amount of meat to put in the freezer, it was almost night fall and I could hear the pot of stew in my refridgerator calling my name. As soon as the thought came to me, my stomach growled in protest at the teasing invitation of food.

Before I knew it, I had reached my cabin and was already extracting the thick clothing I wore over my regular clothes. Cotton had already saddled up beside the table to await the scraps that would surely drop to the floor while I ate and I was more than willing to let him splurge. But since I was a caring pet owner, I dug through the fridge for some leftover food. Finding an old piece of deer steak that I grilled a few days prior, I tossed it in a shallow pan and sat it on the cast iron slab that was propped over the fire. Stoking it with my fire poker, I could hear the meat start to sizzle and become warm.

Cotton licked her lips furiously, waiting for me to put the pan down so she could eat it. I obliged and pulled the pan, setting it down in front of her to feast upon.


	3. Chapter 2: Strangeness Abound

The next day went pretty much the same as the previous. I woke up, did some chores and checked the traps that still remained in the woods. My luck was a little better and I had snagged some squirrel along with some rabbit that I planned to boil and put in the deep freeze.

The only thing different today was the fact that Cotton hadn't taken her morning swim in the creek. Usually like clockwork, she would leap out into the water and splash around until she was satisfied. Today however, she had me worried.

From the moment I woke up she had been acting strange. Sitting by the door as if on alert, she growled sharply when I approached the front door as if warning me of something. That wasn't all either.

Throughout the day she stood at the end of our yard, stock still and staring into the woods. At first I thought that she had spotted a rodent or some sort of animal nuisance but nothing appeared in the yard.

When the day ended, she still sat in the same place and it took over thirty minutes to coax her into the house but finally she relented.

As soon as I laid my head down, it seemed like not even a minute had passed before she was howling bloody murder. Thinking there was a fire under my ass, I jumped out of bed and raced to her, trying to figure out what had spooked her. When I found her, she was scratching furiously at the door wanting to get out.

Not thinking clearly and still half asleep, I cracked the door and she raced out at the speed of lightning. More shocked than anything else at my dog's behavior, I stood there a moment but then went into action. I quickly dressed and put on something warm, grabbed one of my maglites and went outside in search of my dog.

The only thing I feared was what she would find in those woods and if it would impact my cozy life as I knew it.


	4. Chapter 4

To say I was shocked at what I found while following Cotton would be a gross understatement of the year. While it had only been about 10 minutes of following my dog through underbrush and briars, it seemed like it took hours. But my girl was persistent and pushed through the foliage to get to whatever it was that she was seeking. She would stop for a moment to sniff the air it seemed and then be on her way again.

When we finally approached the object of her seeking and I stood frozen in shock at the visual horror that lay before me.

I didn t know her age or even what she looked like, but the form that lay curled up on the ground in a dirty heap was definitely a woman. I was cautious at first to approach the still form in fear that she was dead but the low whining of Cotton quickly changed my mind.

Kneeling down on the damp ground, Cotton gently pushed me with her nose, indicating for me to help the girl. Pushing the damp hair away from her face, I motioned the flashlight to shine beside her rather than in her face, awakening her. What I saw was simply pitiful.

Her face was covered in bruises; some fading to yellow and some a dark, ugly purple. Feeling my ears burn in irritation at her facial injuries, I shook my head and tried to clear the violent thoughts from my mind of what I would do to the prick that inflicted the wounds.

From as far as I could tell, the girl had to be at least 19 from the looks of her and severely malnourished or starved. When I slid my arms underneath her to pick her up, I felt like I was picking up air. The girl weighed maybe 90 pounds at best, 80 being the worst.

Bracing my knees, I slowly stood up with her in my arms and started the trek to my isolated cabin in hopes that she wouldn t wake up in a panic; hence, injuring us both.

Cotton of course, followed closely behind me and whining the whole way, alarming me furthermore. Had she sensed the girl coming? Had the girl been lurking around un-noticed? Maybe stolen? But judging by the behavior of my dog, I highly doubted that. She would have let me know if there was a strange presence around.

Sighing to myself, I walked into the front door of my home and tried not to think about who this girl might be. Or the better question, why was she running? 


	5. Chapter 5

One moment, I could feel the cool dirt of the ground underneath me and the next moment, I was floating. I had a feeling that someone or something was carrying me but I didn t have the energy to fight back.

I could faintly hear a whining in the background but focused my attention more on my current floating ability. I knew I felt warm and I could feel heavy breathing with every footfall the person took, but in my delirious state, I didn t want to assume too much.

Keeping my eyes shut tightly, I tried to hold my breath as to not alarm them of my conscious state and earn a beating. For all I knew, the person carrying me could be the very person who took me in the first place.

I involuntarily started shaking in fear at the idea and the arms that encircled me, squeezed a little tighter. I didn t know whether to feel safer from the gesture or more uneasy.

After a few minutes, I heard a door opening and a gust of warm air hit my cold face. Again I shook and slowly opened my eyes. Just a peek; I could see him but he couldn t see my eyes. Or so my mind rationalized.

The man before me looked extremely rugged at first glance but was definitely easy on the eyes once you took a longer look. He had long, messy hair that seemed like a reddish-brown color and bright green eyes. A light but messy scruff covered his chin all the way up to his ears and it seemed more red than brown. To say he was handsome would be a lie; he was pretty.

Before I could scold myself for ogling this man; who could obviously hurt me if he wanted to, I felt myself being lowered onto a bed. Feeling my heart rate pick up, I panicked at the feel of the soft mattress and jumped up quickly.

I knew once I jumped up, I was in trouble. Knocking my head against the mans chin as I darted up, I shrank back down at once as obscenities started to come out of his mouth.

What the fuck, woman!? Are you trying to kill me? He rubbed his chin roughly as I promptly burst into tears and covered my head in preparation for the blow that was surely coming my way.

* * *

Author s Note: I know it s been a while since I last updated and for that, I apologize. Things haven t been going well lately and I ve had a lot on my plate. I just found out that my dad is severely ill with a disease and now we re possibly looking at something else that may be wrong with him. So, if I don t update often, you know why. I may only update once or twice a month but if months go by? Don t worry, I won t abandon my story. I just haven t had time to do much of anything besides worrying and haven t been able to find inspiration. Please leave me some love, if you d like! Special thanks to RFM86, Brinkleydeelite, debslmac, scareDcat, fanaserie, Edward s spouse and loveable klutz for the awesome reviews! I really appreciate them! And I m sorry I haven t thanked you sooner!


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Yes, I know I haven't updated since May and I apologize profusely. My dad's health is still terrible and they say his body is slowly shutting down but he's pretty much the same. I just haven't been able to find the will to write. Fortunately for you, I typed up a small chapter this morning and will probably start another one after I upload this one! If you have any questions or constructive criticism about my writing, let me know! I am also looking for a banner! Thanks!

Chapter 6

"Lady, you alright?" I pulled at my hair mercilessly as I watched the small girl tuck into herself on the bed, obviously trying to hide from me. _Fuck, I scared the shit out of her! _Letting out a breath of air that I was unaware I was holding, I bent down to and propped myself on one knee to talk to the girl.

"Look, I'm really sorry I yelled… You hafta bear with me girl, I'm not used to having company around here and you pretty much threw me for a loop. Are you thirsty? Hungry? Tell me something, please."

Sensing my pleading tone, she looked through her curtain of hair and stared at me for a few seconds before nodding her head, whispering 'Water'.

I nodded eagerly and practically ran from the bedroom into the kitchen, Cotton on my heels as I found a glass. After tipping the glass over twice with my shaking hands, I finally managed to fill it up halfway and took it back to her. She took the glass gently and brought it to her lips for a sip. As if being reminded of her thirst with the first sip, she greedily gulped it down and sat the glass on the bedside table.

"Want anything else? Can you speak? Do you hurt?"

Seeming to be thinking something over, she arched her eyebrow and stared in my eyes for a long, hard second.

"Do you think I'm retarded or something? I was kidnapped, not raised by wolves…"

To say I was unprepared for her sarcasm and ire would be a gross understatement. Then I thought over her words again and felt my temper flare.

"I didn't kidnap you, lady! I saved your ass! You were out in the middle of the woods and if it weren't for me, I'm sure whoever had you, would have found you again! I could take you back if you want!" I really didn't mean to yell but was she seriously thinking that I kidnapped her?

"I know you didn't kidnap me, you idiot! I meant the people who had me before!" After her brief show of bravery, she shrunk into herself once again.

I sighed and sat down in the nearby chair, wringing my hands together, trying to think of something productive I could do. I couldn't just stand here and gawk at the girl, I didn't have the patience for it. Pretty much deciding what I wanted to do, I glance at her once more and spoke.

"Look, I'm going outside. Got some chores to do and I ain't got all day to be coddling you. There's leftover supper from last night in the fridge and everything you need is in that kitchen.. Um… Ok.."

And with those parting words, I walked outside and to my shed, where I found my fishing gear. Maybe catching some fish would do me good and get my mind off of the strange girl in my room.

Bella POV

This guy was officially insane. He says less than ten words to me and most of them were said in either anger or frustration. I shook my head to myself. Out of all of the places in the world I could escape to, I find the most secluded, less than pleasing place with the most broody, moody, annoying man I had ever met. It could be worse, couldn't it? Yeah, it could.

I would rather deal with this guy for a million years than to be back with my tormentor(s). They were probably still looking for me as I spoke. I cringed to myself in fear and sat on the bed for another ten minutes or so, gathering my thoughts.

Finally deciding to buck up and face my problems, I stood on shaky legs and made my way into the kitchen, trying to find something sustainable to eat.

After finding some leftover mystery stew (which scared me, but I was hungry!) and sitting down at the table, I started to spoon some in my mouth and my eyes widened at the good, surprising flavor that touched my lips.

I heard a whimper under the table and looked down to see Cotton, licking her lips at me and laying her head on my knee. I had heard the man talking to her earlier while I was half asleep.

"Hey Cotton.." I whispered, rubbing her head soothingly. I reached into my small bowl and plucked a small piece of beef from it. Cotton seemed to perk up at my movement and her tail started wagging, awaiting the treat that I would give her.

I smiled to myself and held it out to her as she then licked it off of my hand and hardly chewing it, she swallowed it whole.

"My goodness, you sure are a hungry girl, aren't you?" I told her while smiling happily and giving her another piece. We spent the next fifteen minutes or so doing this, me talking and her listening (or so I think). It was really therapeutic and she had a really calming nature about her.

It almost made me forget why I was here. Almost. Sighing to myself and rinsing my bowl out, I made my way back to the bedroom and curled under the covers, closing my eyes to keep the tears at bay.


End file.
